12/17/12 11:29 AM EST

CNN anchor Don Lemon departed from his network's traditional impartial tone and made a spirited argument in favor of extensive gun control today.

"We need to get guns and bullets and automatic weapons off the streets," Lemon said, reporting from Newtown, Conn., the site of last week's elementary school shooting. "They should only be available to police officers and to hunt al Qaeda and the Taliban and not hunt elementary school children."

Lemon also said the mental health of the shooter was not as significant as the ready availability of guns, calling it a "secondary issue."

"Yes, we need to address mental health, but mental health in this particular issue, let's not get it twisted, is a secondary issue. If someone who has a mental issue did not have access to guns that should only be available in war zones, we would not be dealing with this," Lemon said.

Both Lemon and CNN communications did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on Lemon's remarks.

But Lemon is not alone. His fellow CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien also took issue with gun advocate John Lott during her show this morning, saying "it boggles the mind" the mind that he could argue for fewer gun control laws in the wake of the shooting.